GB2434214A

GB2434214A - Camera lens suspension

Info

Publication number: GB2434214A
Application number: GB0600911A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Allan
Original assignee: 1 Ltd
Current assignee: 1 Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-17
Filing date: 2006-01-17
Publication date: 2007-07-18
Also published as: GB0600911D0

Abstract

A camera lens suspension suspends a lens holder 20 holding at least one lens on a support structure 22 to allow relative movement of the lens holder along an optical axis whilst resisting movement in other directions. The suspension may include two suspension elements spaced along the optical axis. Each suspension element comprises either plural elastic members 24 spaced around the optical axis and extending radially or a single elastic member extending at least 180{ around the optical axis. The elastic members have a thickness parallel to the optical axis less than their extent around the optical axis. The arrangement of the elastic members is such that movement of the lens holder relative to the support structure is accommodated predominately by change in the orientation and stretching of the elastic members.

Description

Camera Lens Suspension This invention relates to a suspension for

suspending a lens holder holding one or more lenses on a support structure to allow relative movement along an optical axis of the one or more lenses, for example as may be used in a camera which may be employed in a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone or a portable digital assistant (PDA).

Recent developments in mobile applications have increased the demand for miniature cameras that are sufficiently small to be incorporated into a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone or a PDA. There is an ever increasing drive to minimise the size of such portable devices and hence to minimise the size of its component devices such as a camera Such reduction in size requires the use of different components from those conventionally used in camera products.

Early products incorporating a miniature camera in a mobile telephone used a lens arrangement having a fixed focus. However, this requires a lens arrangement with lenses of small aperture which limits the size and number of pixels of the image sensor To incorporate larger image sensors with higher numbers of pixels, there have been developed miniature camera lens arrangements which allow for focussing of the image formed. Typically in such miniature camera lens arrangements, the focussing is achieved by movement of lenses relative to the image sensor.

To achieve focussing or zooming, additional actuators have to be included in the already confined volume of such miniature cameras. Whilst most of the existing cameras rely on actuators in the form of an electric-coil motor, a number of other actuators have been proposed as small drive units for the lens system. These actuaotrs may be piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive in which case they are commonly referred to as electro-active actuators.

One suitable form of actuator which provides a suitable degree of movement with a relatively small size of actuator is formed as a continuous member curving in a helix about a minor axis which is itself curved, as disclosed in WO-01147041 Bending of the continuous member is concomitant with twisting of the actuator about the minor axis and relative movement of the ends of the actuator. This type of actuator may be employed to drive movement of a lens holder in a miniature camera, for example as disclosed in WO-02/103451 and WO-2004/077497.

Even as actuators evolve to reduce the volume of the compact camera designs, it remains necessary to suspend the lens holder holding the movable lens or lenses whilst restraining movement in other directions. The lens suspension ideally has a low stiffness or resistive force in the direction along the optical axis to allow movement along an optical axis, whilst having high stiffness in other directions to limit off-axis movement which can lower the optical performance of lens system.

An example of such a suspension used in combination with an electro-active actuator is described in co-owned international patent application W02005/003 834.

The suspension described therein comprises, at its simplest, a form of four-bar link or parallelogram suspension, in which a pair of pivoted parallel links constrain a moving object to remain parallel to a support structure. Motion along the optical axis is accompanied by a much smaller sideways, or off-axis, movement. Whilst this suspension provides good mechanical properties, it remains desirable to reduce the size of the suspension.

It is therefore desirable to provide a suspension for a lens holder which allows movement along an optical axis whilst constraining off-axis motion and which also is compact According to the present invention, there is provided a camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow movement of the lens holder holding at least one lens along the optical axis of the at least one lens, the suspension system comprising.

the lens holder holding at least one lens; a support structure, and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises at least one elastic member made of an elastic material and rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure, the thickness of the at least one elastic member parallel to the optical axis being less than the extent of the at least one elastic member around the optical axis, the at least one elastic member being arranged such that movement of the lens holder relative to the support structure is accommodated predominately by change in the orientation and stretching of the at least one elastic member.

Such a suspension system has the desired, advantageous properties of providing a low stiffness against motion along the optical axis whilst providing a high stiffness against motion perpendicular to the optical axis.

Considering motion along the optical axis, this is accommodated predominantly by change in the orientation and stretching of the elastic member and accordingly the elastic member provides relatively low stiffness against movement along the optical axis.

Advantageously, the elastic member extends, in the rest state of the suspension, perpendicular to the optical axis, although alternatively, the elastic member may extend, in the rest state, at a low angle to the perpendicular In this case, the magnitude of the displacement along the optical axis is greater than the extension of the elastic member required to allow this. Similarly, only a component of the tension force in the elastic member is along the direction of the optical axis, this component being reduced as the angle of the elastic member to the perpendicular of the optical axis reduces This remains the case for the degree of motion typically required of a lens of a miniature camera in which the degree of motion is small compared to a typical dimension of the lens such as its diameter Consequently, for displacements of the lens holder along the optical axis, the stiffness resisting movement is low In contrast, relative to the stiffness along the optical axis, the elastic member provides a high stiffness in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. In this direction, movement is resisted by tension generated in any portion of a elastic members extending along the direction of movement Also, sideways of any given portion of the elastic member, movement of the lens holder requires the elastic member to bend and hence such movement is resisted because the extent of the elastic member around the optical axis is greater than the thickness of the elastic member.

In summary, therefore, the elastic member provides a stiffness resisting movement in a direction along the optical axis which is low in comparison to the stiffness resisting lateral movement perpendicular to the optical axis As the movement along the optical axis is accommodated predominantly by changing the orientation and stretching of the elastic member, rather than being accommodated by bending of the elastic member, as would occur in the case of a elastic member extending at an angle to a line radial of the optical axis, as viewed along the optical axis. Accordingly, the movement of the elastic member along the optical axis is not accompanied by a significant rotation of the lens holder relative to the support structure, which in turn would create problems in coupling an actuator between the lens holder and the support structure.

The use of elastic members provides particular advantages over the alternative of using bearings to support the lens holder and allow movement along the lens holder. One particular advantage is that a elastic member has no static friction threshold to overcome at the start of motion, as occurs with a rolling or plane bearing.

The actual stiffnesses of the suspension system in the axial and lateral directions can be controlled by the specific design of the elastic member, in terms of number and distribution, shape and size (for example the length between the lens holder and the support structure, the extent of the elastic member around the optical axis and the thickness of the elastic member along the optical axis), and also by choice of the elastic material having an appropriate Young's modulus For simplicity of design, the elastic member is flat and has a uniform thickness parallel to the optical axis, so that the stretching is stretching of the elastic material However, this is not essential. As an alternative, the elastic member could be provided with some structure, such as undulations or apertures which change its mechanical properties for example allowing the stretching to be stretching of the structure andlor the elastic member could be provided with a non-uniform thickness parallel to the optical axis.

To provide lateral stiffness in different direction radially of the optical axis, the elastic member is arranged to be present on different sides of the lens holder around the optical axis Two alternative types of embodiment which achieve this are as follows.

In the first alternative type of embodiment, the elastic member comprises a plurality of elastic members at different radial positions around the optical axis.

Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow movement of the lens holder along an optical axis, the suspension system comprising: the lens holder holding at least one lens; a support structure; and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises a plurality of elastic members made of an elastic material and rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure at different radial positions around the optical axis, each elastic member extending between the lens holder and the support structure radially of the optical axis and having a thickness parallel to the optical axis less than its extent around the optical axis.

Each of the different elastic members resist movement perpendicular to the optical axis in a direction sideways to itself, and so the plurality of elastic members together resist lateral motion in different directions to an extent dependent on the precise number and disposition of elastic members around the optical axis.

In some embodiments, the elastic members may be arranged with identical widths and equally spaced around the optical axis. This provides a symmetrical arrangement which serves to reduce any tendency for the elastic members, acting together, to rotate the lens holder about the optical axis, as well as reducing any twist of the elastic members which can accompany such a rotation.

As an alternative, the disposition around the optical axis and the relative size of the elastic members may be modified, as compared to the symmetrical arrangement, in order to counteract any tilt imported by an actuator which is coupled to drive movement of the lens holder relative to the support structure. Indeed, a variety of irregular arrangements of a plurality of elastic members are possible.

In the second alternative type of embodiment, the elastic member comprises a single elastic member extending entirely around the optical axis.

Thus, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow movement of the lens holder along an optical axis, the suspension system comprising: the lens holder holding at least one lens; a support structure; and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises a elastic member rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure, the elastic member extending entirely around the optical axis and having a thickness parallel to the optical axis which is less than its extent around the optical axis.

Such a elastic member is efficient in resisting motion in all directions perpendicular to the optical axis, because of its extent entirely round the optical axis On the other hand, use of such a single elastic member, as compared to a plurality of separate elastic members, requires use of a material which is more elastic and/or thinner as the overall extent of elastic material around the optical axis is higher.

An individual suspension element constrains tilting of the lens holder relative to the optical axis to some degree, but a higher degree of stiffness against tilting of the lens holder can be achieved by the suspension system comprising at least two suspension elements which are spaced along the optical axis. The at least two suspension elements acting together resist tilting of the lens holder, since tilting of the lens holder involves lateral movement of one or more of the individual suspension elements which is resisted by the lateral stifihess of those individual suspension elements To allow better understanding, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a camera incorporating a camera lens suspension, Fig 2 is a top view of the camera lens suspension; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a suspension element of the camera lens suspension; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lens holder of the camera lens suspension having two suspension elements mounted thereon; Fig 5 is a cross-sectional view of the suspension element taken along line V-VinFig 3,and Fig. 6 is perspective view of an alternative suspension element for the camera lens suspension.

A camera 1 incorporating a suspension in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Fig. I The camera 1 comprises an image sensor 2 mounted on a housing 4. The camera 1 further includes a lens 6 mounted inside a lens barrel 8 which acts as a holder for the lens Whilst the camera 1 of Fig 1 is shown with a single lens 6 inside the lens barrel 8 for simplicity, alternatively the lens barrel 8 could mount a more complicated system of plural lenses The image sensor 2 is arranged in series with the lens 6 along the optical axis 0 50 that the lens 6 directs light onto the image sensor 2 forming an image. As described further below, the lens barrel 8 is suspended on the housing 4 so that the housing 4 acts as a support structure for the lens barrel 8. The lens barrel 8 and hence the lens 6 is movable along the optical axis 0 to change the focus of the image formed on the optical sensor 2. The degree of movement required is relatively small, for example of the order of 0 075mm from the centre position to achieve a range of object positions from infmity to 100mm. Such movement is driven by a piezoelectric actuator 10 as will now be described.

The actuator 10 is of the type disclosed in W0-01/47041 and W0-02/103451 which are incorporated herein by reference. In particular, as shown in Fig. 2, the actuator 10 comprises a continuous electro-active member which curves in a helix around a minor axis 11 which itself extends in a curve which is an arc of a circle around the optical axis 0.

The actuator 10 has a bender construction which, on activation, causes the continuous member of the actuator 10 to bend around the optical axis 0 For example, the actuator 10 may have a bimorph bender construction comprising two layers of electra-active material alternating with electrodes for receiving drive signals from a control circuit for electrically activating the layers of piezoelectric material to cause bending of the continuous member of the actuator 10 around the minor axis 11 The piezoelectric material may be any suitable material for example a piezoelectric ceramic such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or a piezoelectric polymer such as polyvinylidenefluoride (PPDF). Alternatively, other types of electro-active material may be used, for example electrostrictive material which constricts on application of

an electric field.

On activation of the actuator 10, the bending of the continuous member of the actuator 10 around the minor axis 11 results in twisting of the continuous member of the actuator 10 around the minor axis 11 which may be visualised as the helical turns of the continuous member of the actuator 10 tightening or loosening around the minor axis ii This twist of the continuous member of the actuator 10 is concomitant is with relative displacement of the ends 12, 14 of the actuator 10 in a direction out of the plane of the curve of a minor axis 11, that is in a direction parallel to the optical axis 0.

One end 12 of the actuator 10 is attached to the lens barrel 8 holding the lens 6. The other end 14 of the actuator 10 is connected to the housing in particular to an annular wall 16 of the housing 4 which extend around the lens bolder 8. Thus, the relative displacement of the ends 12, 14 of the actuator 10 on activation drives movement of the lens holder 8 relative to the housing 4.

To suspend the lens barrel 8 and to guide movement thereof along the optical axis 0, the camera I has a suspension system consisting of two suspension elements 18 as will now be described.

As shown in Fig 3, each suspension element 18 comprises an inner frame 20 and an outer frame 22. Each of the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22 are annular and rigid. Each suspension element 18 further comprises three elastic members 24 which extend between the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22 and are rigidly fixed thereto along the entire extent of elastic members around the optical axis 0.

As shown in Fig. 1, the suspension elements 18 are each rigidly coupled between the lens holder 8 and the annular wail 16 of the housing 4. In particular, the inner frame 20 fits around the lens barrel 8 and is rigidly coupled to the lens barrel 8 provided by clips 26 which are formed on the lens barrel 8 and provide a snap fitting for ease of assembly, as shown in Fig 4 Similarly, the outer ring 22 fits inside the annular wall 16 and is rigidly coupled to the annular wall 16 by being clipped into detents 28 which are formed in the annular wall 16 and provide a snap fitting for ease of assembly, as shown in Fig. 1 Thus, in the camera 1, each of the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22 extend entirely around the optical axis 0 The elastic members 24 are formed as pieces of elastic material which extend radially from the inner ring frame 20 the outer frame 22 so that they are coupled to the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22 at the same angular positions around the optical axis 0 The elastic members 24 are formed as flat sheets which are co-planar so that they all extend perpendicularly to the optical axis 0 and at the same position along the optical axis 0.

The detailed construction of each suspension element 18 is shown in Fig. 5 which illustrates how the elastic members 24 are fixed to the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22. In particular, the elastic members 24 are all formed from a single sheet 30 of elastic material in which the elastic members are integrally formed together with an inner ring 32 of elastic material of the same shape as the inner frame 20, as viewed along the optical axis 0, and also having an outer ring 34 having the same shape as the outer frame 22, as viewed along the optical axis 0. The inner frame 20 is formed from two inner frame portions 36 which are fixed on opposite sides of the sheet 30 to the inner ring 32. Similarly, the outer frame 22 is formed from two outer frame portions 38 which are fixed on opposite sides of the sheets 30 to the outer ring 34. The inner frame portions 36 and outer frame portions 38 are made of a rigid material, for example a plastics material or metal. A suspension element 18 in this form is easy to manufacture because the sheet 30 of elastic material is easily cut from a larger sheet and the inner frame portions 36 and the outer frame portions 38 are easily fixed thereto to form the inner frame 20 and the outer frame 22.

The individual elastic members 24 have an identical form, in particular with an identical width, that is the extent around the optical axis 0. As shown in Fig 3, the elastic members 24 are rectangular, but they could equally have other shapes, for example with their edges extending along lines radial of the optical axis 0. Also, the elastic members 24 are equally spaced around the optical axis 0 In the present arrangement shown in Fig 3, there are three elastic members 24, but in general any number of elastic members 24 could be provided.

The elastic members 24 have a thickness parallel to the optical axis 0 which is less than their extent around the optical axis 0, that is along the width of their rectangular shape in Fig. 3 The pair of suspension elements 18 allow movement of the lens barrel 8 along the optical axis 0. On such movement, the orientation of the elastic members 24 changes, from the orientation perpendicular to the optical axis 0 in the rest position shown in Fig. 3 to an orientation at an angle to a line perpendicular to the optical axis 0. The length of the elastic members 24 thus increases by a small amount, this being accommodated by stretching of the elastic members 24.

For such movement of the lens barrel 8 relative to the housing 4 along the optical axis 0, the stiffness of the suspension elements 18 is relatively low, being dependent on the configuration and material of the elastic members 24. As the elastic members 24 extend in the rest state radially of the optical axis 0, the increase in length of the elastic members 24 is smaller than the degree of movement along the optical axis 0, so the tension generated elastically in the elastic members 24 is relatively low and only a component of this tension is directed along the optical axis 0 Relative to such stiffness along the optical axis 0, the stiffness generated by each of the suspension elements 18 against lateral displacement perpendicular to the optical axis 0 is relatively high, as compared to the stiffness along the optical axis 0.

This is because such lateral movement tends stretch at least one of the elastic members 24 andlor to bend at least one of the elastic members 24 in a sideways direction radially of the optical axis The stretching is resisted by the tension generated in the elastic member 24 concerned The bending is similarly resisted, because the elastic members 24 each have a large extent around the optical axis 0, as compared to their thickness parallel to the optical axis 0 As the elastic members 24 are spaced around the optical axis 0, this high lateral stiffhess is present in all directions, the symmetrical nature of the elastic members 24 providing similar stiffness in all lateral directions.

Furthermore, the use of two suspension elements 18 spaced apart along the optical axis 0 provide a high stiffness against tilting of the lens barrel 8, because such tilting involves lateral displacement of the lens barrel 8 at the position of one or both of the suspension elements 18. To improve the stiffness against such tilting movement of the lens holder 8, the lens holder 8 has an extended length which is greater than that necessary merely to support the lens 6 The positioning of the suspension elements 18 spaced apart along the optical axis also allows for accommodation of the actuator 10 between the two suspension elements 18 The overall arrangement of the suspension elements 18 is very compact.

Each suspension element 18 is in itself of small size and the flat arrangement of the suspension elements 18 makes it easy to accommodate other components therearound. In addition, the actuator 10 is compactly fitted between the pair of suspension elements 18 Another point is that the gaps between the individual elastic members 24 of the suspension element 18 may usefully be employed for positioning of other components, for example a compliant material which can be used to limit the displacement of the actuator 10 to prevent excessive motion beyond its nominal displacement and thereby avoid damage to the actuator 10 when the camera 1 receives an impact force The number, disposition, shape, size and material of the elastic members 24 can be chosen to design suspension elements 18 having particular desired stiffnesses axially and laterally of the optical axis 0. In the arrangement shown herein, the elastic members 24 are made of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer with a Young's modulus of 53MPa, and have the following dimensions: length (radially of the optical axis 0)1.2mm, width (around the optical axis 0) 0.8mm, and thickness (parallel to the optical axis 0) 0 1mm.

Similarly, while in this arrangement the elastic members 24 extend perpendicularly of the optical axis 0, they could alternatively be at an angle to a line perpendicular the optical axis 0 as viewed from the side of the optical axis 0. In this alternative case, they would still extend radially, that is as viewed along the optical axis Such an angle would preferably be small to limit the stiffness axially along the optical axis 0, for example at most 45 or preferably at most 30 .

The degree of motion along the optical axis 0 is limited by the elastic limit of the material of the elastic member 24. Provided the extension of the elastic member 24 maintains the elastic material below its elastic limit, when the actuator 10 returns the lens barrel 8 back to its rest position, the elastic members 24 will contract back to their original size.

The form of the suspension element 18 as a component incorporating all three elastic members 24 provides for ease of manufacture and assembly. However, this is not essential. Alternatively, the camera 1 could be arranged so that each elastic member 24 is a separate component which is separately assembled to the lens barrel 8 and the housing 4, in which case the set of three elastic members together constitute a suspension element once assembled.

Fig. 6 shows a suspension element 40 which is of an alternative type and may replace the suspension 18 in the camera 1 described above. In this case, the suspension element 40 includes an inner frame 20 and an outer frame 22 which are identical to those of the suspension element 18, but the three elastic members 24 are replaced by a single elastic member 42 which extends entirely around the optical axis 0. The movement of the suspension element 40 is identical to that of the suspension element described above, in particular providing a stiffness in the axial direction along the optical axis 0 which is low relative to the stiffness laterally of the optical axis 0 As the elastic member 22 extends around a greater, overall angular extent of the optical axis 0, then in order to provide similar properties to the suspension element 18, the properties of the elastic member 42 need to be changed accordingly, for example by making it thinner or by using an elastic material having a lower Young's modulus.

In the camera I shown in Fig. 1, focussing is achieved by movement of the lens holder 8 which incorporates the entire lens system (consisting in this case of a single lens, but alternatively plural lenses can be provided) The suspension elements could equally be provided in a camera lens arrangement including a lens system in which a subset of the lenses are movable and the remaining lenses are fixed, for example as described in the application being filed simultaneously herewith entitled "Miniature Camera Lens Arrangement" (J A Kemp & Co ref. N 96261).

Claims

Claims 1 A camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow

movement of the lens holder holding at least one lens along the optical axis of the at least one lens, the suspension comprising: the lens holder holding at least one lens, a support structure; and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises at least one elastic member made of an elastic material and rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure, the thickness of the at least one elastic member parallel to the optical axis being less than the extent of the at least one elastic member around the optical axis, the at least one elastic member being arranged such that movement of the lens holder relative to the support structure is accommodated predominately by change in the orientation and stretching of the at least one elastic member.

2 A camera lens suspension according to any claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic member extends, in the rest state of the suspension, perpendicular to the optical axis.

3 A camera lens suspension according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one elastic member comprises a plurality of elastic members at different radial positions around the optical axis.

4. A camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow movement of the lens holder along an optical axis, the suspension comprising: the lens holder holding at least one lens; a support structure; and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises a plurality of elastic members made of an elastic material and rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure at different radial positions around the optical axis, each elastic member extending between the lens holder and the support structure radially of the optical axis and having a thickness parallel to the optical axis less than its extent around the optical axis.

A camera lens suspension according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the elastic members have identical extents around the optical axis and are equally spaced around the optical axis.

6 A camera lens assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the plurality of elastic members of the at least one suspension element are disposed at the same position in the direction parallel to said movement axis.

7. A camera lens assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein all of the plural elastic members are integrally formed with an inner ring of the elastic material extending entirely around the optical axis and with an outer ring of the elastic material extending entirely around the optical axis 8 A camera lens suspension according to claim 7, wherein the at least one suspension element further comprises an inner frame rigidly coupled to the lens holder and extending entirely around the optical axis, and an outer frame rigidly coupled to the support structure and extending entirely around the optical axis, the inner ring of the elastic material being fixed to the inner frame and the outer ring of the elastic material being fixed to the outer frame.

9. A camera lens suspension according to claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic member comprises a single elastic member extending entirely around the optical axis.

10. A camera lens suspension for suspending a lens holder to allow movement of the lens holder along an optical axis, the suspension comprising: the lens holder holding at least one lens; a support structure; and a suspension system comprising at least one suspension element which comprises a elastic member rigidly coupled to the lens holder and the support structure, the elastic member extending at least 1800 around the optical axis and having a thickness parallel to the optical axis which is less than its extent around the optical axis 11 A camera lens suspension according to any one of claims ito 7, 9 or 10, wherein the at least one suspension element further comprises an inner frame rigidly coupled to the lens holder and an outer frame rigidly coupled to the support structure, each of the inner frame and outer frame extending entirely around the optical axis, the at least one elastic member being disposed between the inner frame and the outer frame and being rigidly fixed thereto.

12 A camera lens assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one elastic member is flat.

13 A camera lens assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one elastic member has a uniform thickness parallel to the optical axis.

14. A camera lens suspension according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the suspension system comprises at least two suspension elements which are spaced along the optical axis.

15. A camera lens suspension according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one elastic member is arranged such that movement of the lens holder relative to the support structure is accommodated predominately by change in the orientation and stretching of the material of the at least one elastic member 16 A camera lens suspension according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic material is an elastomer 17. A camera lens suspension according to claim 16, wherein the elastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer.

18. A camera lens suspension according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the elastic material is a polyester elastomer 19 A suspension system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an actuator coupled between the support structure and the lens holder to drive movement of the lens piece relative to the support structure.

20. A suspension system according to claim 19, wherein the actuator is an electro-active actuator.

21 A suspension system according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the actuator is a bender extending in a helix around a minor axis which is curved around the optical axis.